“You don’t have to believe in Christianity, or Judaism or anything. But even if you don’t, you live in a society that’s constructed out of that morality.” — Bill Whittle
Zo Rachel pulls a still-stunning story from the dark recesses of history. Is the Jonah account just a big fish story, a hoax, actual history, or a life lesson that you can use today?
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13 replies on “Jonah: History or Hoax…it’s an Unsinkable Story with Power Today”
Now why couldn’t you, Zoe, let it finish sweetly where it was going. Had to insert that jab about institutionalized religion. And that should really be the phrase you should be using, as it’s more correct than just saying religion. Religion is an aim, a goal. To be reunited with the Father, just as the Son. It is paradise regained for us. You are on the path to religion yourself, though you misunderstand the word, and that from a man that is so good with words.
To doubt in institutions is to question God, since he was the one that established them. He was the one that made Aaron priest, in a priesthood that would last for “all generations”. But, where is that priesthood?
A while back I proved The Lord was born from a joining of the kingship AND the line Levitical line by Mary, who was from the house of David and Levi. On the last supper, he anointed his disciples and founded the new covenant, bringing what was of the flesh into spirit and perfecting it. On his way to the garden, he bestows a kingdom upon his disciples, just as one was bestowed upon Him. It’s that not an institution? Who established it? If for all generations, where and when did it end?
To continue to doubt like this is to cast doubt on the anointing. Be like David and respect it, even if others do not think it is worthy of respect. Or be like the pharisee who it is, I think,
who you really are referencing.
Christ Himself Mentioned Jonah. It happened.. 39 He said to them, “The sinful people of this day look for something special to see. There will be nothing special to see but the powerful works of the early preacher Jonah. 40 Jonah was three days and three nights in the stomach of a big fish. The Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the grave also.
While I love Zo and his message, he repeatedly states that he doesn’t believe in a religion but believes in the word of the Bible. Problem is, Jesus never mentioned the Bible but he did say that Peter was his rock and on this rock I shall build my Church.
Was Peter the rock, or was it what he said?
I’m one of those who is of the opinion that especially the Old Testament is filled with metaphors, of symbolism melded with history. It’s the story of truths being revealed to man, much of the time through trial and error. Lots and lots of error.
Now I have nothing against people who take it literally and I don’t believe that what I believe belittles THEIR belief.
Jordan Peterson tends to point out that these metaphors are actually distilled truth, and contain more truth than things that actually happened. I see where he’s going with that, and I like it as an explanation.
It is not bad fiction. It’s extremely rich and symbolic “faction”.
The Book of Jonah is about more than his experience in the fish. Remember what happened before and after the ocean voyage. Jonah was called to go to Nineveh (The capital of the hated Assyrian Empire) and preach their destruction and call them to repent. This would be equivalent to being called from London to Berlin during the Blitz; or from Miami to Moscow at the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis; or NYC to Mecca or Gaza on 9-11. Jonah didn’t want anything to do with them, either because he didn’t love the enemy conquerors of his region and hoped God would just wipe them out without Jonah’s prophecy; or because he feared delivering such an unwelcome message to very violent culture that might not hesitate to silence him permanently.
….Insert Fish Story Here….
Then after Jonah is spit back on land he goes to Nineveh, preaches their destruction and immediately exits the city to watch the sulphur and brimstone fall from the sky from a safe distance.
But God had other plans.
“When God saw what they (Nineveh) did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that He had said He would do to them, and He did not do it.”
The whole final chapter of Jonah is focusing on how hard it is for Jonah to accept God’s mercy on his enemies.
“But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. And he prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country (Israel)? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish (Spain); for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster. Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.”
WOW — God…I told you not to send me to these violent people so you could totally transform their lives and relent from destroying them. Please kill me.
It took some serious humility for Jonah to publish this about himself.
Some of us would do very well to take his example to heart. A total destruction of even the worst of our enemies is not as wonderful as participating in the kind of sacrificial life that is required to bless them with the mercies of a Holy God who doesn’t desire that anyone be destroyed in their own violence and rebellion.
Just my 2 cents.
Jeff
that was a lot more than 2 cents worth. You did an excellent job of exegesis
Good stuff guys. Appreciate your willingness to “go there”. And glad to see Zo seems to have mostly got his allergy to Texas under control.
Great discussion, as usual gents. Good to hear people discuss such things and actually listen to each other and try to learn. Imagine!
When Bill said, “Let there be light” and snapped his fingers, it made me recall one of my favorite short stories by Asimov. It is call “The Last Question”. Here is a link to a pdf, it is only 9 pages long.
https://www.physics.princeton.edu/ph115/LQ.pdf
The Last Question is awesome. There is a good reading of it here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHrSaJwBoUk
I really love it when readers give stories the full sound and drama they deserve. It always moves me more than a show or film with visuals.
The Last Question is a great one, another great Asimov story is the story of the person who in a divine moment of inspiration gains insight to the whole history of the Universe from the Big Bang to the present and wants to recount the story. Realizing that it would take an infinity of time to do so, including an infinity of material to write it down upon, only to realize that he only had 6 scrolls of parchment to write the whole Genesis on.
I can’t remember the exact title of the short story, but I think it was “How it all Happened” or something similar. It’s been 20 years since I read it last.
NO link to Jonah video
But Jonah, reluctant to see Nineveh spared, makes his way to Joppa, a seaport, and took a ship bound for Tarshish. But God wanted him to go to NINEVEH. So he made it so. Regardless of method. IMHO Good discussion.